Oxidizing agents are frequently used in alkaline soft surface cleaning compositions. For certain applications, such as carpets and textiles, the oxidizing agents used must not alter the color of the surface they are used to clean. Peroxygen reagents, such as hydrogen peroxide, and hydrogen peroxide precursors, are known color-safe oxidizing agents when used at moderately low concentrations.
Alkaline soft surface cleaning compositions containing hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide releasing reagents typically come in powdered form, since these reagents rapidly autodecompose in alkaline aqueous solution. Although aqueous hydrogen peroxide cleaning compositions with an acidic pH are more stable than their alkaline counterparts, they are generally inferior cleaners for many types of soiled textiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,646 discloses a "powdery solid" detergent washing composition containing a water-soluble synthetic organic surface active agent and an alkali salt of a hydroperoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,915 discloses a "powdery solid" biological cleaning preparation containing a proteolytic enzyme and a salt of an organic hydroperoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,068 discloses a powdered detergent composition comprising an alkali metal mono- or polyalkylsulfonate hydroperoxide, a surfactant, sodium silicate, and a hydrophilic cotelomer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,519 discloses a method for bleaching textiles by pre-treating the fabric with a buffer or alkaline solution, and contacting it with tertiary butyl hydroperoxides and water in the vapor phase.
Therefore, there exists a need for an aqueous alkaline peroxygen soft-surface cleaning composition that produces satisfactory cleaning results.